Telegraph printer



Sept. 14, 1943.

E. P. BANCROFT 2,329,580

TELEGRAPH PRINTER Filed July 25, 1941 2 Sheets$heet l l I I l l v I I II I l I l ll L lg; i iull ATTORN p 943. s. P. BANCROFT 2,329,580

. TELEGRAPH PRINTER Filed July 25, 1941 2 Sheets-Skeet 2 1 BY firm/v P54xiv/=7- AH'ORNE;

Patented Sept. 14,- 1943 UNI-TED- STATES PATENT oi ricr h v I TELEGRAPHPRINTER. Erwin I; BancrofhBrooklyn, N. Y. assign to InternationalStandard Electric Corporation, v 1 New York, N. Y., a corporation ofDelaware Application July 25, 1941, Serial No. 404,041

- lfi Claims. (01. 178-34) This, i v ntion relate to rhythmic printintelegraphreceivers' of the type in which the selections are controlledbypermutation code selecting mechanisms. v Theniecha'nism shown anddescribed herein is particularly adapted for use with receiverswherein atype wheel shaft is equipped with stops which progressively controlfractional portions pf a revplutionfof the type wheel in successivesteps inacco'rdance with received code impulses It is especially usefulwhere the typejwheel is selectively 'permitted'torotate fractionalportions of a revolution such as one-half, one-quarter, onc eighth, andso on. I

In printin telegraph receivers of the character referred to, which havebeen available heretofore, it has been necessary to rotate the typewheel shaft at aspeedseveral times that of the distributor shaft inorder to return the latter to a zero startingposition following eachcharacter selection In caseswhere the selectedcharacter causes only asmall 'fractionof a revolution of a type wheel shaft, practicallya'complete revolution must be madein returning the same to its zerostarting position. Thisusually took place during' the interval betweenthe completion of one selection and the beginning of the nextandtherefore had, to be done at a high rate ofspeed in order to arrive atthestarting position in'time.

This rapid rotation ofthe stop shaft and type The principal object ofthis invention is'to providesimple'methods wherein'the type wheel shaftmay be stopped in its starting position .in either of two alternative"positions substantially 180 a ar -1,3 1 V,

, Another object, of thisinvention is to provide means which will permit,fnoving the t pe. wheel shaft to the selected position'and returningthe same totheistartihg position at a rateof speed only slightlyinexcess or that corresponding to the rate of sp'eed 0f. thedistriblltorshaft. f Another object is to providemeans whereby thatportion of the typewheel shaft controlled by the stopmechanism is neverrequired to rotate as much as"one-half[revo1ution either in movin to aselectedposition orfin returning from a se-- lected positioh to astarting position; a

'j Accordin to the present invention a half revo luti "0 f]thetypeWheelis under controlof the first selective impulse and such rotationisaccomplishedjj during receipt I of the succeeding selective impulses andindependently of any additional rotation resulting therefrom "Accordingto a further-feature of the present invention theselectivecontrol-exercised by the first selectiverimpulse is reversedfor alternate characters received. g' lhus, if on the first characterreceived the firstfimpulse' is selective and the type wheel is therebycaused torotate onehalf revolution then, on the' next character received, if the first impulse i selective, no rotation will resulttherefrom p o H A further feature of the invention lie$ineqllipping thestop unit on the selector'shaft with exactly similar stops-on each halfof itscircumference and in using each'half alternately for positioning'atype wheel which is coupled there to on a unity ratio basisfor'recording alternate characters.

. Printing telegraph "receivers are known (U. S. Pat. 2,192,353, datedMarch 5,.1940 to E. Kleinschmidt). infwhich a selector shaft of the typeherein disclosed is equipped with duplicate stops on each half of itscircumferenc and in which the two halves of the selector shaft are usedalternately for selecting the character to be recorded. The. type Wheelis geared to the se lector shaft on a2 to 1 ratio basis, and makes acomplete revolution forjeach halfjrevolution of the selector, shaft,Accordingly, corresponding stop positions on each half of the selectorshaft positions the type wheel in exactly the same angular position.Also, printing telegraph receivers (U; S. Pat,2,192,354, dated .March 5,1940 toE. E. Kleinschmidt) are known in which the selector shaftfisequipped with stops on only one-half of its circumference and in .w.hichthe typefwheel shaft is connected to the selector shaft selector shaftrotates at substantially double the 4l rests against stop screw 42'.

and the type wheel may be operated at a speed only slightly in excess ofthe speed of the distributor shaft. Other features of the invention willbecome apparent in the description which follows, and in the appendedclaims.

Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 shows the apparatus in perspective, all of the framework beingeliminated and some of the parts cut away to show the mechanism moreclearly.

Fig. 2 is a plan view showing, in detail the cam sleeve for rotating thetype wheel.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail of the mechanism for controlling theselection of a character group.

Fig. 4 is a detail of the stop cams on'the' selector shaft.

Fig. 5 is an alternative arrangement for controlling the operation ofthe sleeve for rotating the type wheel shaft.

Fig. 6 is an end View of a portion of the apparatus shown .in Fig.5,showing the different possible spatial relationships between twoelements. 4

The invention will nowbe described applied to a printer similar to thatdescribed .in the patent to Kleinschmidt, .No.v 2,192,854, referred toabove. A brief description citr c-mechanism of this printer is thoughtto he \suflicient for an understanding of the invention,theprinter-being a well known device andis fulLy-described inthepatent'referredto. I

Referring now toFig. l, gear i, loosely-mounted on shaft 2, is rotatedin .a'clockvvise direction at a constantspeed bykalmotor, not show-n, anidler gear 3connects gear .I with gear 4, also rotated in a clockwisedirection and loosely mounted on shaft 5; gear 1 tends to rotate shaft.Zibyr. friction coupling 6, .and gear 4 tends to rotate shaft 5 by afriction coupling Fl. shaft "2 has fixed on it a cam assembly-8 and anorientablelstopmemher 9. Cam assembly .8 consists of a latch release cam.IO', four stop lever cams H, a normal stop lever cam l2, type wheelshiftlever cam 1.3, and releaselever cam l4. Latch release lever .11rotates -on stud l5 and operates latch .15. -Four stop levers l9 aremounted .on stud .IS'and each hasanelongated bearingaper'ture at, whichpermitsa slight lateral displacement as well as rotation on stud 15.Normal .stoplever l8 rotates on stud 15. Type wheel rotating-lever 21,also mounted on stud' lif, has an elongated bearing aperture the same asstop levers "l9 and is connected by pin 22 -to the'bifurcatedendof lever'23. Releaseileve-r 24 rotates on .stud i5 and bears against latch 25.Latch 1.6 and latch .25 .rotate on stud'26 and are held in theirunoperated'positions by springs 21 and 28. Springs 3| hold stop levers I8 and I9 against the lower 'partof stud l5 and stop, 32. Spring 33.holds ty Whflel shift lever 2| against the lower part of stud il5 andstop32. '1

A receiving magnet 34 is connected by wires '35 in the ci'rcuit'of atransmitter not shown. Armature lever 36 has a bearing onfistud 3l'ja'ndhas attached to it latchplat'e 38 "and .i'1j1lcriihi plate 39. Armaturelever when retracted by spring v Agstop lever 43 pivoted on stud 44 liesin the path of stop member '9 and holds shaft 2 'againstrotatio'n whenthey are in engagement. Pin 43' limits rotation of stop lever 4.3. Stoplever 43 has an extension 45 that rests onlatch plate 38 when armaturelever '36 is attracted, as shown in Fig. 1. When armature lever 36 isreleased, under a nocurrent'start condition, spring 41 pulls armature36in) the left last eight. One additional stop 55 is provided with twostops which engage the normal stop lever I8 in either of the two normalstop posi- '-'ti'on's an'd 'hol'dst he shaft 5 against rotation assl'i'ow'n,ln'F-ig. 1.

when armature lever 36 is moved against stop screw 42 itfirst releasesstop lever 43 from engagement with orientable stop member 9,perrriitting shaft 2 and cam assembly 8 to rotate, as explained above,cam I3thereupon operates type wheel rotating lever .21 andthereafterlth'e .four cams ll operate ftheifour stop levers 15:insuccession. If armature lever 36 remains-against stop 42, levers 2|and I9 will pivot onilat'c'h lB, the elongated bearing apera'ture jinthe levers permitting them to move vertically without in. tation on studT5. When, however, ,arma'ture lever '36 ismoved to the attracted.po'sit'io'n away from stop, .after it has released stapler/er 43-,fulcrum 39 'will be under bearln'gjledge 5| if this happens when one ofthe stop levers T9 is operated by a cam illl, .lever 1'9, will engagem1- crum plate 39 and pivot thereon,.for'cin'g 'i'ts laltch extension 53to move latch I6 outwardly anti-in doing sojlath flfs will releasenormalstopiev r I8, permitting. stop finger assembly 54 'and shaft 5 torotate. 'Stop extension 52 of the "operated stop lever l3 will then'bein the path of itsfr'ow or stop fingers forming part of stop :whe'e'1'54and Williagain stop shaft .5. The operated smpiever 19 will latch onlatch, I 5 and remain thre'ilfifiil the next stop lever IJfi'i'soperated. ,Lat'ch extension 53 will then rest on flatch f6 'aindiremainthere until the next "stop lever is operatedfto fulcrum on fulcrum plate.39 -or l l'iitil latch Iii "is operated by latch release cam :ro, whichfq'ctur's at the end of the cycle. "By varying the peerstion of the fourstop levers through the action of armature lever 35, stop wheel 54fandshaft 5 can beset in sixteen di iferent'positions including the normal'stop position. 7,

Following the selection and recording of a character the stop wheelassembly 54 .isreleased by-cam H] which releases latch 16, and continuesits .rota'tion under the-influenceb'f the friction clutch 1 until itreaches the next normal stop position. As described, sixteen printingpositions are determined by the action of the stop wheel assembly 54wherea the type wheel has thirtytwo differentpr'intingipositions. Inorder to take care of the extra sixteen printing'positions the typewheel maybe rotated through 186 under control of one of the "selectingimpulses (preferably the 1st impulse) independently of therotationcaused by the rotation of the s'topfwhe'el asv sembly. The various partswhich make this possible cooperate in the following-manner:

Lever 2| connects with shaft 51 through lever 23 which has fixed theretoa, lever 55 that terminates in an extension 50. A lever 51 pivoted on auniversal bearing '62, is 'heldin contact with the extension of lever 59by a spring 83. "me opposite end of lever 61 is bentupward and sear,ries a roller 64 that is placed between ifi'a'nge fi of a sleeve 66which is slidably and rotatably mounted on shaft 5 and shaft"6*'|, thelatter carrying type wheel J04. A pin 68, fast in shaft 5, worksin adiagonally'placed. slot 69 in sleeve 65,. and a pin 1|, fast in shaft5T, WOIkS in a .diagonally placed. slot 12 in sleeve 66. The slotsififland I2 are so formed that when sleeve 66 .is moved to the rightalong theshafts 5 and .61 against the tension of spring 13, shaft 61 is rotated180 with respect to shaft 5., vIn the operation of the. device, shaft 5is either rotated-through the fric; tion clutch! or is held stationaryby stop 18 or one of the stops I; shaft 6|, -beingconnected to shaft bysleeve 66 and pins 68 and H, rotates withshaft 5 as well as beingrotated under :the influence of the sliding motion of sleeve 66. Thenormal position of sleeve 66 isas shown in Figs. 1 and 2, that is, whenit is moved to the-left-under the influence of spring l3 and when pins 68 and H are at the right hand end of slots 08 and "12 respectively. Aface cam M is fixed to shaft 2 and rotates therewith and lever 6| isengaged by cam 14 when placed in its path by the operation of lever 59.v

Duringthe selecting cycle the stop wheel assembly 54 is required to makea maximum of fifteen-thirty-seconds part of a revolution and may make aslittle as one-thirty-second part of a revolution. Likewise, during theinterval between the end of one selecting cycle and the start,

that partof the next which controls the assembly 54 the latter mustcomplete the half revoone-thirty-second part of a revolution-respectively. It will be observed that the time allowed for the returnof the assembly 54v to either of its twonormal stop positions consistsof the time allotted to the stop pulse plus the start pulse plusthefirst selecting pulse on three-sevenths of the total time allotted toeachcharacter cycle assuming a seven unit character cycle as is com.-mon in start-stop printers. H g

The operations as just described, are well known in the art providingthe selector shaft is permitted to make a complete revolution. However,in the instant invention the selector shaft is permitted to make buthalf a revolution; therefore, it will be observed that the location of 7any character on the type wheel with respect to the stop position of theselector shaft changesg l flf for each alternate character. Thus,ifacharacter-let us say, A is in the second half of the circumference ofthe type wheel with respect;to

one normal stop tooth, A.. will be. in the-first half of thecircumference of the type wheel with respect to the other normal stop,which is 180 displaced from the first. same -condition holds for eachand every character onthe type wheel. -.Unless, therefore, provision ismade to take care of this shift in ther'elative location of'thecharacters with respect to either normal stop position, characters 180displaced from the desired character would be recorded for eachalternate character selection. The parts which cooperate to produce thedesired. results are shown most clearly in Figs. 1 and 3. Assuming thatthe independent 180 rotation of the type wheel is under the control ofthe first selecting element, and further assuming that the desiredcharacter is in the second half ofthe'type wheel then the operation oflever 2| must be such as to rotate shaft'5'l in clockwise direction,causing lever 6| to cooperate with cam 14 and thereby rotate the typewheel 180 with respect to shaft same'result is'sh'own in Fig. 5.

tension of spring 303. earn 304 onlever 303 lever 6| will be raised to5. Assuming now that'this same character isto be repeated immediately itwill then be found in'the first-half. of the type wheel and response tothe first selecting impulse. must be such as not to cause lever 6| "tocooperate withcam 14. To bring this about thereis rigedly mounted onselector' shaft 5 an I eccentric 20|. Cooperating therewith, is a lever202 which is mounted in slidable relation to lever 2|"on pins 203integral with lever .21. 'Spring 205 exerts a pressure to push lever202..to the right, as shown in Fig; 3.

Assuming for the first character to be received theselectionshaft is inthe. position shown, lever 202 will be toward the right and in aposition whereby extension 204 thereon will cooperate with thearmature-36 when the latter is in its oper-- ated position." Under thiscondition lever 2| when operated "by the. distributor will pivot aboutextension 204 causingshaft 51 torotate clockwise and lift lever 6| intoengagement with cam I4 thereby causing theirotation of type wheel I04with respect to shaft 5. At the completion of the first characterselection shaft. 5will stop in a position 180 removed from the positionshown and lever 202 will'be forced to the left of the action ofeccentric 20L .In this position the extension 204 willcooperate withlever 36 only" when the. latter is in the released position or againststop 42. Thus, if "the same character is repeated and armature 35 isattracted to its operated .position during the first selectingintervalas shown inrFig; 3, lever 2| will pivot about pin 22,1eaving'shaft5l' inits normalposition. Lever Bl willwbe .clear of cam M andthe type wheelwill not be rotated3l80 with respect :to shaft? 5 and the desiredcharacter willbe selected. It-will thus be seen that the same characterappears alternately-in the second and first half of a-circur'nferenceofthe type wheel withrespe'ct to shaft 5 and through themechanism just describedwillbe correctly recorded regardless of which stop position isused as the starting point for the selecting operation. There is nopossibility of getting out of step since the eccentric 20| is rigidlyconnected to the selector shaft .5.

"aAn alternative method of accomplishingthis When this methodisusedlever 202 shown in Figs. 1 and ,3, is omitted and lever 2| responds inexactly the same manner for each character-selected. The desired result.is obtained'from eccentric 30! rigidly mounted on shaft 5, cooperatingwith a slidable lever: 302 which is normallyvpulled to the right, Fig.5, by spring'303.; In the positions of the parts shown in Fig. 5, withlever 50 in its normal or unoperated position, lever 51 willbe'sout ofengagement withface cam 14. If lever 60 is operated by turning shaft 5'!in a'clockwise direction lever 6| will be raised into engagement withthe'face of cam 14 and will cooperate therewith to turn the type wheel180. f 0n the succeeding character eccentric Bill will have rotated 180pushing lever 302to the'left against the Through the medium of such aposition that when lever 00 is in its unoperated position lever 6| willbe in a position to cooperate withthe' face of cam 14 and there by torotate the type wheel 180 with respect to nateselecting operations'ofshaft 5wi1l produce the desired results and that in one case the typewheel will 'be 'tui'lred 180 when lever =80 is operated and in the nextsucceeding case it will not 7 be turned 180 when leyer'tll is operated.

half a revolution duringeach selecting cycle and V will have ainple'timeto return tbthe ne'xt normal stop position follow'ing the completion bfthe selecting -'cycle, and before the commencement bf that pa'r't of thenext cycle which determines the pos'ltidriing'df the stop assembly. Itis also apparent that in cases where the type wheel is required to berotated '180" with respect to shaft 5,

that ample time is allowed, both for the Tpositi'dning of the type wheeland for its return to norm-'al'withrespect to shaft 5.

No attempt is made herein to describe the method by 'which the selectedcharacters may be recorded, or how other functions, such asspacing',shift and rinshift, 'etc.,'may be accomplished, since theseoperations are clearly described "in the tw'opatents already referredto, and since these operations formn'o part of theizlresent inventlon.

What is claimed is:

1. In a telegraph printer, a rotary cam shaft having a plurality ofearns, a selecting magnet haying an armature arranged to be positioned"by line signals in selecting or "non selectih'g position, a pluralityof members adapted 'to be moved into selecting position by said cams21211111 said armature when the latter is in selecting pos'i- 'tio'h,type means divided into a plurality'df' select able groups, meanscomprlsing-one ofsaid'niem bars for determining the group to beselected, a "cam arranged. to cooperate with one of the first mentionedcams to vary the operation of the last mentioned member i n respect tothe position of "said armature.

2. In a telegraph "printer, 'a rotary tam shaft having a plurality orearns, 'a, selecting mag'net having an armature, a plurality of membersadapted to be moved into selecting-position through the cooperation ofsaid "armature when in "selecting position with said cams, type means'divided into 'a plurality of selectable group's, means comprising"one-of said rirenibers for-determin'ing the group to be selected, arid"a 'a'rn on a second shaft arranged to cause the last men'- tionedmember to 'be operated "during the selec- "tion of alternate letters bya cain on the first mentioned shaft when said armature is in IIOIT-selecting position.

3. In a telegraph printer, a rotary camshaft having a plurality of cams,a selecting magnet g responsive to line signals having an armatureadapted to be positioned by line signals in select- 'ing ornon-selecting position, 'a =p1uraiity-of members adapted to 'be movedthrough the cooperation of said cams and said armature into eitherselecting or non-selecting position, time means divided into apluralityo'f selectablegroups, means comprising'at least'one ofsaidmembers for determining a group to be selected, and a cam on a secondshaft arranged to vary the operation of the last mentioned member inrespect to the position of said armature.

4. In a telegraph printer in which a typewheel is positioned 'progressively -a selecting magnet having an armature, a fpl-uralityof selectorsinclrfding selector means effective to select a group of type 'on saidtypewheel controlled by said armature, and means rotating inpredetermined relation to said typewheel and effective at apredetermined point in the cycle of alternate letters to cooperate withsaid armature to reverse the operation of said selector means.

5. A start-stop telegraph printer in which a typewhe'el is positioned bya stop wheel having rows of stops that progressively double in hum heras to rows, and means for driving said type wheel at a ratesubstantially within 10% in excess of that of said'sto'p'wheel.

In a telegraph printer in 'wliicha typewhe'el is positionedprogressively, a plurality of sele'm tors, at least the of whichdetermines the selection of a group or type on said type'wheel, meansrotating in predetermined r lation to said type: Wheel, for reversin theeffect of said selector determining the group of type to be selected;

7, In a telegraph printer having a typewneel, a selectin mechanismarranged to select the character to be printed from one of a pluralityor groups of type on said typewheel, a selecting hiagnet responsive toline signals, an armature therefor for control-1mg said s'el'ectifrg'mechanism, said armature being movable to either a selecting orhon-selecting position in acco da ce with thei e sighal's and means forcausing said arhl'atu e to be effective to comm the selection or a groupof characters irrespective of its position.

8. In a telegraph printer having a typewheel, a selecting mechanismarranged to select the character to be printed from she or a pluralityof groups of type on said typewheel, a selecting magnet responsive toline signals, ah armature therefor for controlling said selecting'm'e'eha'msm, said armature being movable to either a selecting "orhomsfeleeting osition in accordance with the line signals, and means forcausing said alfr'iature to be ineffective when in its ele'ctingposition.

9. A telegraph rinter comprising a selec'ter magnet, an armaturetherefor adapted to be fx'ioved into Selecting or non-selectin position,

- a plurality of members arranged to be selectively controlled by saidarmature when in selecting pos'i'tion and 'means 'ellective during theselection of'a-lternate characters to cause said armature tol'n'vaiiably operate at least the of said inemeei-s "if innoh=selectiiig osition.

' 10. A telegraph printer comprising selector magnet, an armaturetherefor adapted to be moved into selecting or hon-selecting position, aplurality of members arranged to be selectively controlled by saidarmature when in selecting position and means efiective during theselection of alternate characters to cause said armature to invariablyoperate at least one of said members if in non-selecting position andmeans forrest'on ing said means so that said inembersfarenormally'operate'd for the intervening letters.

11. A telegraph printer c'omprising a plurality of'groups of type, ashift member for selecting a group of type, means for operating saidshift member invariably for alternate characters.

-12. A telegraph printer comprising a plurality ofgroups of type, aselector magnet, a shift meni- '-ber, means for operating said shiftmember irrvariably for alternating characters, and means controlled bysaid selector magnet to render said shift member when operatedineffective to cause a shift operation.

'13. In-a telegraph printer a plurality of select- ;able members, meansfor moving said members in s1-1ccession,-a selector 'magnet'having anarmature movable into a selecting or non-selecting position adapted whenin the former position to be effective to selectively modify the motionof said members, and means carried by at least one of said memberseffective at a predetermined point in the printer operating cycle tocause said armature if in its non-selecting position to selectivelymodify the motion of said member.

14. In a telegraph printer responsive to re- 1 ceived signals, atypewheel, a stop wheel having two sets of stops displaced 180 from eachother, the respective sets of stops being used to select alternateletters, an adjustable connection between said typewheel and said stopwheel, a

selecting mechanism to progressively stop the stop v Wheel in accordancewith received signals, means tween said typewheel and said stop wheel, aselecting mechanism to progressively stop the'stop wheel each halfrevolution in accordance with received signals, means to revolve thetypewheel in respect to the stop wheel under control of one of the unitsof the code, and means comprising a cam effective when a predeterminedone of said sets of stops is in selecting position to reverse the effectof said code unit in controlling said means to revolve the typewheel.

16. In a telegraph receiver responsive to a series of signals a stopwheel having two sets of stops on opposite arcs of said wheel, a cam onthe shaft of said wheel associated with One of said sets of stops, a setof selector levers arranged to be operated in succession during theselection of a character, a selecting magnet having an armature movableinto selecting or non-selecting position, said armature being adapted toact as a fulcrum for said selectors when in selecting position and tothereby modify the motion of said levers, a movable member on one ofsaid levers operated by said cam, said member being displaced whenengaged by said cam to cause said armature to act as a fulcrum for saidlever when in non-selecting position.

ERWIN P. BANCROFT.

